Section 1: Prohibition of expulsion or return of refugees

(1) As from the commencement of this Act and notwithstanding any other law or enactment, no person who is a refugee within the meaning of this Act shall be refused entry into Nigeria, expelled, extradited or returned in any manner whatsoever, to the frontiers of any territory where-
(a)
his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular group or political opinion; or
(b) his life, physical integrity or liberty could be threatened on account of external aggression, occupation, foreign domination or events seriously disrupting public order in any part or the whole of that tenitory.
(2)
The provisions of subsection (1) of this section, shall not apply to a refugee who-
(a) is a danger to the security of Nigeria; or
(b)
is convicted by a court or tribunal for committing any serious crime as stipulated in the conventions contained in First to Third Schedules to this Act.
[First to Third Schedules.]
(3) No person, claiming to be a refugee within the meaning of this Act who has illegally entered into or is illegally present in Nigeria, shall be expelled, extradited or returned merely by reason of his illegal entry or presence in Nigeria or any part of Nigeria pending the determination of his application for a refugee status.
(4) A person who has lawfully entered into or is lawfully present in Nigeria and who wishes to remain in Nigeria on the grounds that he is a refugee within the meaning of this Act, shall not be compelled to leave Nigeria unless he has found another country of asylum.